Good locked 'crazy CA law' safe rifle storage in a TJ?

[alosix]

Ok, I'm a bit new to this. The laws are numerous, conflicting, confusing, and kinda hard to find all of them.. but it seems like the safest way to transport the scary black thing is locked in its case, locked in a trunk, with the ammo separate.

This isn't all that hard to do in the E30, but the WRX has no trunk partition (FIA roll cage). The TJ is well a TJ.. and the M725 is one big box as well.

So, I guess what I'm looking for to start is something I can use in the TJ. I currently have the full length tuffy storage in there, but I don't think its long enough. Wondering if there are any metal 1 or 2 'rifle sized' locking boxes that I can use for this. I've been hunting around a good bit and really haven't found anything yet.


Thanks,
Jason

 

[Dave Bennett]

I'd use a Pelican rifle case. It can be locked to the vehicle with a cable, and can be paddle locked shut.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Long gun laws do not equal handgun laws.

Long guns can be unloaded and in a vehicle in just about any configuration/position. The don't have to be separate from their ammo, they don't have to be locked.

in a tj, I'd just do some type of underseat lockable tuffy drawer. Might have to separate your upper and lower to fit it, but maybe not.

You can have a shottie with ammo on buttstock cuff or an AR with loaded mags sitting right next to the gun. no worries.

Go buy "How to own a gun and stay out of jail" and put together a set of exceptions for yourself.

 

[alosix]

I have the 'other' scary black thing.. an AK so it won't pull apart quite that easily. The pelican style case doesn't seem bad. I have a plano one now, but its not really solid enough for me to trust it. It seems ok for the law, but not to me for theft. I need to actually pull the Jeep up the garage and try putting it into the tuffy box. Where its parked now, and where I live now, I'd suspect I'd have a visit from the popo pretty quickly from a neighbor calling me in climbing around the Jeep trying to figure out mounting options ..

I stumbled across that book last night reading a thread on calguns about how the chp tends to like to haul people in for having loaded mags. Need to grab a copy of that.

The problem I have up here is not just the CA laws, but in the bay area there are a TON of little cities with their own laws for transport. The FFL cautioned me about traveling through san jose in my Jeep with the locked case. I need to go find the reference to that law, but around here I'm in a different possible jurisdiction every 5 minutes up and down 101..

 

[cnynrat]

CA Gun laws are indeed a mess. Sometimes I think I need to have a lawyer on retainer simply to own a firearm in this state. Anyway, I am not a lawyer, but here's what I think is relevant to your question:

1. Assuming you do not have a valid CA CCW, concealable weapons must be transported in a locked compartment of the vehicle, which does not include the glove box or "utility compartment." Typically this means locked in the trunk of a typical passenger car is OK. In an SUV or truck you will need to lock the handgun in a case. A soft case is fine. I use the plastic case my handguns came in locked with a padlock, or you can spring for an appropriately sized Pelican case or similar. Handguns must be unloaded, but it is fine for ammo to be locked in the same place as the gun. In fact, you can have a full magazine so long as it isn't inserted in the handgun.

2. Federal law requires that ALL firearms be transported unloaded in a locked case when transiting through a gun-free school zone. This is the only law that requires that you to carry a rifle or shotgun in a locked case while in your car.

3. There is a new CA law regarding unloaded open carry of rifles and shotguns that just took affect on 1-Jan-2013. This law requires that all long guns be transported in a case that can be closed. Note that this law applies when you are out in public walking around, not inside your car. Obviously, in many cases you will need to consider this law while moving your long gun to/from your car. The case must fully conceal the gun lest some innocent bystander catch a glimpse of a gun . If the case was designed specifically to carry a gun it need not be locked. if it was not specifically designed to carry a gun then it must be locked. I know, go figure. This law applies when in public spaces in incorporated areas of the state, so you can still carry your rifle/shotgun openly when out in the backcountry.

www.calguns.net is a great source of information if you have more specific questions. Look at the CGF Wiki for background on CA firearms laws. Here's a link to their summary of laws regarding transporting firearms in CA.

 

[alosix]

Cool, thanks for the links.. Maybe I'll just build something that the plano cases can be locked into in the Jeep. Case locked (law safe), case locked in metal in Jeep (theft safe). I'll keep hunting around as well.

I would have posted this up on calguns, but figured ya'll would have better info for those soft topped suv thingies we have. That and I haven't posted on here in quite a while. Rally car projects have been taking up my overland time.